Apparatus for lifting and floating sunken vessels or the like



3L AK AKZ AND M. HOL APPARATUS FOR Ll-FTING AND FLOATING SUNKEN VESSELS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED 0011,1917.

1,383,051. Patented June 28,1921.

5 SHEETSSHEET .Inoen tors:

wwpmnww Atto rney' K. AKAKI AND M. ITOI.

APPARATUS FOR LlFTING AND FLOATING SUNKEN VESSELS 0R THE'LIKE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1. 1911.

1 ,383,05 1. Patented June 28, 1921 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Attbmey K. AKAKI AND M. ITOI. APPARATUS FOR LIFTING AND FLOATING SUNKEN VESSELS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILD 0011,1917.

Patented June 28,1921;

5 SHEETS-SHEET a.

K. AKAKI AND M. n01.

APPARATUS FOR LIFTINGAND FLOATING SUNKEN VESSELS'OR THE LIKE.

- i APPLICATION ugn OCT. 1. 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

.1 :P 25 .29 ii 56 19 i i8 i 60 I I i I??? a Inventdrs:

' y a; I

Patented June 2 ,1921.

K. AKAKI AND M. ITOI. APPARATUS FOR LIFTING AND FLOATING SUNKEN VESS ELS OR THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. I, I917.

Patented June 28, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- E: 13 Big D III wfl a D \El D U C] Invefitors'.

in feamq I Attorney- UNlTED SlAllilS rarsnr OFF-ICE.

KANZABUEO AKAKI. or HIGASI-IIKU, osaKA, AND MASANOBU rror, or r0 Biisniono, TOKYO, JAPAN.

APPARATUS FOR LIFTING AND FLOATING FSUN'KEN VESSELS OR THE LIKE.

To all to ham it may concern Be it known that wedlanzaeono Armin, of i4 2-Chome. Doshumachi, liligashiku, Osaka, Japan, engineer, and ll/IASANOBU her, of 131 Kashiwagi, Yodobashicho. Tokyo, Japan, inrenter, have invented certain new and useful lmproveinents in Apparatus for Lifting and Floating Sunken Ships or the like, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to apparatus for lifting and floating sunken vessels or the like without dismembering the parts thereof. The invention is distinguished by the simplicity of the system of manipulation and an ease of working, which has not been attained with the forms of apparatus hi therto employed. A further object of the invention is the lifting and floating of sunken bodies without changing the existing state of the same, such as cannot be salvaged by the known cotter-dam. method, and a still further object is the lifting and floating of a vessel which has run aground on a shoal or on a sunken rock by means which enable repairs to be effected on the bottom or sides of the same, so as to insure safely launching the vessel without excessive labor and erg pense.

The invention comprises, in its broad essentials, a sufficient number of piles built up of lumber and designed to be immersed adjacent to the submerged object each of said piles carrying an upper frame and deck structure. the load being brought to bear thereon through the medium of means supported by the upper structure and connecting with the object to be raised and means operatively effective between the upper structure and the top of the pile, for submerging the pile and {permitting of the height of the said pile being increased by the application thereto of additional lumber from time to time, in such a manner that the pile by its gradually increasing height grounds or becomes sufficiently buoyantand so enables the means by which the pile was submerged to effect the lifting of the submerged object.

These features together with others and various details ofconstruction will now be fully described with reference to the accom panying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a general perspective Specification of Letters Patent. Patrgnted J 28 1921 Application filed Gctober 1, 1917.

Serial No. 194,198.

view of a pile structure and the apparatus carried thereon.

Fig. 2 shows more or less diagrammatically, the system or method of sinking the lumber by means of jacks or other suitable mechanism and piling by hand.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper frame, the sides of which are perforated to receive the screw shafts of the jacks.

Fig. l is a perspective view of a form of driving mechanism adapted for submerging the pile by means of pressure applied thereto by the jacks and permitting of the piling of the lumber. L

Fig. 5 shows details of the driving mechanism for the transmission of power.

Fig. 6 is a view of the deck structure and its supporting members.

Figs. 7, 7 l and 7 represent respectively the upper tie frame; one of the intermediate outer frames; the inner sliding bottom frame, and, in elevation, one of the poles or corner members and one of the lifting poles all of which are hereinafter referred to.

Fig. 8 is a view of a guide member. one of which is supported from the upper frame and the deck structure respectively.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view. partially in section, of a. clamp which receives, at opposite points, the ends of the ropes or the like, which are secured to heavy anchors located at the bottom of the water. as hereinafter described.

Fig. 10 is a view of an alternative driving mechanism.

Fig. 11 shows alternative mechanism for manual operation.

Fig. 12 is a general view of the Working stage for the raising of a vessel wherein an apparatus comprising two pile structures is employed.

Fig. 13 represents diagrammatically, different arrangements of the apparatus which may be employed according to the size, shape and weight of the object to be floated.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the iron poles or corner members which are secured in or rest on the water bottom, the said poles being positioned at suitable distances apart according to the size and weight of the object to be raised and floated.

Within the space thus defined, the pile of lumber A and the apparatus B (Fig. 1) are arranged as hereinafter described.

Over the bottom frame E, which 1s arranged at a suitable distance above the water bottom and which braces the lower extremi ties of the poles or corner members 1 and supports them in correct position by means of catches 3, an inner sliding frame 4: is arranged.

At the commencement of the operation, the sliding member 4:, which is guided by links'25 alongthe poles or corner members 1, is suitably suspended in the horizontal position by means of chains connected with the tie members of the top frame 2, (Fig. 7), uniting the upper extremities of the corner members 1, and the intermediate portions of the members 1 are secured by a number of frames similar to the base frame E. ()n the member 4 thus suspended, a row of lumber 5 is arranged so as to form a solid surface, the said lumber being suitably connected tothe said member 1- by means of catches or the like K, which latter firmly secure the rows of lumber to the outer edges of the said member 4.

- Other rows of lumber are arranged successively and each row is rigidly secured at the sides by clamps L (Fig. 2), to each preceding row. The further operation of the piling of the lumber will be hereinafter described.

The upper frame B, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, is guided by links 7 along the front pair of iron poles or corner'members 1, as shown in Fig. 1, and the supporting members 7 8, 8 and 9 are rigidly connected to each other while the upper ends of the members 8, 8 are also rigidly connected to the sliding guide block 6 which is fixed to the two rods 6, 6, secured to the upper frame at 6, the said rods 6, 6 being also secured to the enlarged central portion of the beam 1%) and the latter-with the beam 10 forms withthe pair of the stay-bolts 9, a framing, the beam 10 of which is secured at 10 to the upper frame B (Fig. 1). There are also provided the stays 9 near the adjacent corners of the upper frame, the upper ends ofwhich connect with the front members of the upper frame after passing through the side of the deck structure, the other ends being secured near the corner of the staybolt 9 to the beam 10.

lteferring'to the driving mechanism in Figs. 4; and which is carried by the upper frame B, we provide an electric motor D with system of countershafting which rotates two sets of parallel shafting by means of bevel wheels 12 and 14; It will be seen that the two parallel outer shafts 11, 11, and the parallel inner shafts 13,13, as well as the two parallel outer shafts 11, 11, and parallel inner shafts 13, 13, are simultaneously driven and each of the above shafts is provided with the same number of intermediate bevel wheels and gearing. When the shafts 11 and 13 are driven, the shafts 13 drive bevel wheels 20 which engage wheels 21 so that the cylindrical gearing 22 secured to the latter will be driven and the Wheel 18 will be rotated.

In a similar manner the shafts 11 (Fig. 5) drive bevel wheels 15 which engage wheels 16, so that the wheels 18 will be driven in the same direction as before by engagement with the cylindrical gearing 17. In consequence the spindles of the jacks 19 will be screwed in the screw threaded apertures 23 in Fig. 1 and exert pressure on the pile of lumber 5.

According to the present arrangement, the jacks are divided into two sets which will act alternately, as diagrammatically shown by arrows in Fig. 2, on their corresponding pile pieces as hereinafter described, and for this reason while the first set is working the working of the second set of acks must be prevented by the disengagement of the bevel wheels 15, 20, (attached to the latter), by means such as sliding the key off the keyway of the shaft. -lVhen the stroke of the first mentioned set of jacks for example, jack Gr, Fig. 5, is completed, the keys of the bevel wheels of the first mentioned set of jacks will be pulled out of their keyways and the bevel wheels, which are to engage the second mentionedset of jacks, for example, jacks F and H, Fig. 5, are keyed on the shaft so as to run the latter jacks.

In this way the spindle of the ack Gr still remains in position while spindles of the jacks F and H are screwed up. During the above operations, the pieces are piled by hand in the clearances between the operating spindles, each of the said clearances being substantially twice the width of a piece of lumber. It should be observed that by the above device, equal pressure is always retained on the piled column so that not only is the hand piling facilitated, but the whole apparatus will be constructed as strongly as possible.

lVhen a pile of lumber 5 has been put on the bottom frame 1, it becomes floated by the buoyancy of the assembled materials. At the proper moment the upper frame work B is arranged in position, and connected by means of hooks 26, 26, 27, 27, and 27, 27, is a lifting rod 28 secured to the object to be raised, and the chains supporting the bottom frame 4- are removed. Then the jacks are moved, and lumber is piled until the bottom frame and the piles of lumber cannot be further pressed down by the pressure of the jacks, or in other words,.until they reach the lowest possible point; in this case, if the acks are further operated, the upper frame will rise by the pressure exerted to a certain height, say, to about 3 feet in the present apparatus.

When the pile is sunk, it will be guided by the guide plates 24 which are attached to the front poles or corner members 1 by means of clamps 25. The hooks 26, 26, connected to 0 (Figs. 1 and 8) of the guide block 6 and the hooks 27, 27, secured to one side of the upper frame and also the hooks 27, 27, carried by the central portion of the beam 10, all act to engage the lifting rod 28. by this action when the pile has grounded or sunk as low as possible, on again operating the jacks, the body to be lifted is raised a certain distance and will be retained in lifted position as the hooks 26, 26, 27, 27, and 27, 27, do not permit the lifting rod 28 to slip in a downward direction and act only to lift up the rod 28 with its weight. The rod 28 has its end 28 (Fig. 7), turned up so as to enable it to be secured to a lifting chain or the like at that end by means of a screw. There are provided rollers 32 (Fig. 7) in the outer frame 29 which is suspended by chains from the members 2 by means of the metal rings 31.

Then the deck structure is formed by putting in the lumber and metallic side members within the clearance between the case of the upper frame and the upper surface of the uppermost layer of the pile. For convenience, it is preferable to make cine side of the deck in alineinent with the corresponding side of the upper frame while on the other side the deck extends farther than,

the side of the latter.

It is of course necessary to provide a space to permit the corner poles going through the deck. The deck structure is supported, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, by the rods 35, 86, 37, 38, the whole system being secured to the guide block 34. The center of the front metallic member 40 of the deck structure has a pair of hooks to engage the lifting rod 28, the entire surface of the deck structure, except the sides, being constructed of the lumber, as shown at 39 in Fig. 6. To the guide block 34, there are connected two hooks 41, 41, which engage the lifting rod 28 and the deck structure has the reinforcement consisting of two beams 43, 44, secured together by the staybolts 42, 42, and further supported by additional stays 42, 42', the upper ends of which enter into the base of the deck structure, and the beam 44 is suitably secured as at 46 to the deck frame.

Two vertical rods 34, 34, are secured to the middle portion of the beam 43 and to the guide block and also secured at 34 to the metallic side 40 of the deck structure. Further, the beam 43 is provided at the middle position with two hangers 45, 45, which co-act with the hangers 45, 45, and similar hangers 41, 41, carried by the guide block 34, for retaining the lifting rod 28 in the position in which the latter is lifted by the action of the hangers 26, 26, 27, 27, and 27, 27, while during the lifting of the rod the hangers 45, 45, 45, 45, and 41, 41, become loose.

in Fig. 9 there is shown one of the split clamps 47, each of which is provided with superposed rings 48 through which pole or corner member 1 passes. Alternate rings 48 are connected together and the two sets are pressed at diametrically opposite points into engagement with the pole l by the screw bolts 49, 49, and ropes or the like are connected with each of the four metal rings 50.

The chain 51 passing under the bottom of the vessel, is connected to the hooked ends 28, 28, of the lifting rods 28, 28, (Fig. 12). It is preferable to connect the chain 51 at some point as at 53 with the chain 52 suspended from the sides of the vessel.

In Fig. 10 there is shown an alternative device to that of Fig. 5 in which the shaft 54- is arranged at the center of the edges of the side of the frame instead of adjacent to the side of the frame as shown in the said figure, so that the shaft drives the bevel wheel 55 engaging bevel wheel 56 which is directly connected to the cylindrical gearing 57 which in turn engages the toothed and threaded spindle 58 which passes through the plate 59, the spindle being screwed in the bottom plate 60 to act in the usual manner.

Fig. 11 shows usual hand power jack 61 with the perforations 62 in which a lever is fitted to operate the same.

The die 63 is arranged to direct the pressure on the material to be operated upon and is used in connection with the forms of mechanism shown in Figs. 5, 10 or 11.

We will now describe the details of the erection of the apparatus and the function of the various important parts thereof.

It is necessary first to select a space of water adjacent the submerged or foundered body and to define the area for the erection of the apparatus. Then, at each point where a pile is to be erected, a large boat is anchored, the said boats being strongly secured together by ropes or the like. Four, or in. some cases, eight poles or corner memhere 1, are assembled on the above mentioned boats and are subsequently immersed in the water by means of cranes, chainblocks or the like at equal speeds. Before immersion, the poles or side members 1 are secured together toward their lower extremities by the base frame E, consisting of iron beams having a clamping member 3 (Fig. 1), at each corner. Similar frames are then secured to the poles 1 at approximately every six feet, so that a number of such frames are necessary.

lVhen the poles are immersed in the water, divers descend and carefully locate the poles in the water .bottom. The outer metallic frames 29, which are provided with anchors and fastening chains, are then arranged around the structure at distances of, say, twenty-four feet apart throughout its length. This combination of the frames E and outer frames 29 enables the poles to be maintained in exact pe pendicular positions.

As hereinbefore described, each of the outer frames 29 is suspended by chains so that it is always retained in its correct po sition. As soon as the outer frames are arranged, it is necessary to secure together the upper portions of the poles by the frames comprising the tie members 2, which is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 7, and also to secure the correct vertical positions by means of heavy anchors secured to ropes or the like connected to the clamps 4:? (Figs. 1 and 9). In practice, it is preferable to give a slight inclination to the structure toward the side of the pile opposite to that on which the lifting rod 28 is located, by means of heavy anchors connected therewith by means of ropes or the like, in order to counterbalance the lifting strain on that side.

The lifting rods 28 are then placed in position, each rod adjacent to a suitable point of the sides of the sunken object, the number of lifting rods required depending on the size and weight of the sunken body to be floated. The accessories of the lifting rods have been hereinbefore described and will require no further explanation.

The inner sliding bottom frame member 4;, is preferably constructed of iron members of the requisite dimensions, say, for example, twelve to fourteen feet long and of four inch cross section, while, as hereinbefore stated, it is provided with members adapted to 'slidably engage the poles or corner members l.

On the said sliding bottom frame 1, the lumber, say, for example, each one foot square and twelve to fourteen feet long, is arranged to form a solid layer rigidly secured to the bottom frame member. On the bottom layer thus formed,-lumber is again piled to form the succeedinglayers and the guide plates 24 are arranged between the poles or corner members 1 and the longitudinal surface of the column.

As soon as anuinber of layers of lumber have been prepared and the partially formed pile has acquired a suflicient degree of buoyancy, the upper frame with the lifting apparatus is placed in position and connected to the lifting bars by the hangers 26, 26, 27, 27, 27 27 and the chains supporting the bottom frame and the piles of lumber thereon, may be'removed at will. It should be noted th'ateach of the frames E, secured to the poles 1 approximately at every six feet, will be successively let down to the ater bottom as the immersion of the pile of lumber proceeds, due to the pressure placed thereon by the jacks, so as to in no way hinder the incoming column. Une of the two alternate sets of jacks is then brought into operation in such a manner that all the jacks of the set simultaneou ly exert pressure on their corresponding harbor, and, upon the first set of jacks lltlVll been forced down to their full extent, the second set of jacks are brought into operation upon the fresh pile of lumber meanwhile placed in position in the spaces between the adjacent j aclrs, this process berg e uitcd and the two sets of jacks being brought into operation alterm ely until the pile has acquired a sufficient l'ieight to gl'Ollllil on the water bottom or to float the SlllJlllGlgfir'l body.

The deck structure which now inter posed between the upper frame and the pile by suitably operating the acks, urtends farther than the upper frame on three sides and is preferably fitted with iron railing. As hereinbefore described, the clamps 6" are provided to secure the side of the upper frame F) to the rods 6', so that the distance between 6 and 6 and the distance between 6 and the lower end of 6 will always re main constant.

The thrust of the acks will now be borne by the deck structure and transmitted thereby to the pile, the ends of the screws of the jacks engaging the holes 23 in the upper frame and bearing on the underlying deck structure.

The stays 9 are providedrnear the adjacent corners of the upper frame and serve together with the framework consisting of beams 10,10, and stay-bolts 9, 9, to maintain the horizontal position of the upper frame 15. The deck structure is provided with a similar construction and therefore the deck frame will support the lifting rod 28 and weightthereon in the position in which the said weight has been lifted by the upper frame B, the upper frame acting as the lifting medium. The raising of the ship or other object is then completed by alternately raising and lowering the upper frame 1) by means of the jacks, the hangers 26,27, 27 of the upper frame lifting the ship, and the hangers 411, 45 anl d5 of the deck structure supporting the ship while the first mentioned hangers slip down the lifting rod to take a fresh hold. T he lifting will be effected alternately in the stern. and bow of the foundered vessel and as soon as the vessel appears on the surface, the water therein will be radually removed by means of. pumps.

After the deck structure has been put in place the jacks of each pile may be operated together instead of in two groups alternately.

If the damage to the foundered vessel is very :rtensive, it will be necessary to in.- crease the number of piles about the damaged portion and arrange the latter in suitable positions and bridge and connect the same by girders, designed to support hori zontal platform or deck construction permitting of access being readily had to the damaged portion of the vessel for the purpose of effecting the necessary epairs. In this manner the whole body can be floated in the water and repaired on the spot.

After the vessel has been repaired and fitted to take her own course, the apparatus can be dismembered, the lumber may be taken out alternately in each layer by reversing the hereinbefore described action of the jack spindles, and finally the base frame E, which is attached to the iron poles or corner members 1, will be lifted by the hooks together with the said poles, and in this manner the whole of the parts of the structure may be disassembled.

The merits of the present invention are briefly as follows :--The apparatus can be used in practice without regard to strong tides, stormy weather, depth of sea or water, and obstacles at the water bottom, and the substantial part of the apparatus is constructed of assembled lumber, each of small dimensions, by means of which a strong vertical column can be formed in an extremely simple and convenient manner. The weight of the bodies to be lifted is borne by the piles, and as the lifting rods are practically arranged on all sides, the pressure on the columns, due to the lifting weight, is the same in every unit and the structure will hence become stronger in proportion as the weight of the lifted body is greater.

We claim 1. Apparatus for lifting sunken vessels and the like comprising piles made of buoyant material, a lifting device mounted on each pile, a deck structure interposed between each lifting device and its pile, connections between the lifting device and the vessel including a lifting rod, and connections between the deck structure and the lifting red, the latter connections being inoperative while the lifting device is in actuation to raise the vessel and operative to.

sustain the vessel when the lifting device is not acting to raise the latter.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each lifting device comprises a number of jacks mounted in a frame, said jacks being so arranged that the thrust thereof is ultimately borne by the pile.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 comprising means for operating part of the jacks of each lifting device alternately with the remaining jacks thereof, the jacks in each group being so arranged that fresh pile material can be introduced between the jacks of the operative group to take the thrust of the jacks of the other group during the ensuing actuation thereof.

4C. Apparatus as in claim 1, comprising corner members resting on the water bottom, bracing frames carried by said corner members, said frames and members forming part of the pile structure, and means for guiding buoyant material forming the body part of the pile relatively to said corner members.

5. Apparatus as in claim 2, comprising corner members resting on the water bottom, bracing frames carried by said corner members, said frames and members forming part of the pile structure, and means for guiding buoyant material forming the body part of the pile relatively to said corner members.

6. Apparatus as in claim 3, comprising corner members resting on the water bottom, bracing frames carried by said corner members, said frames and members forming part of the pile structure, and means for guiding buoyant material forming the body part of the pile relatively to said corner members.

In testimony whereof each of us affixes his respective signature in presence of two Witnesses.

KANZABURO AKAKI. [1 s] MASANOBU ITOI. [1 s.] Witnesses:

Kooono NATONABE, K. Iro. 

